


Before the Journey

by Mei_kun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cuddling, Eye Candy, First Meetings, Keep, Language Barrier, M/M, Memory Loss, Miscommunication, Stormed In, becoming friends, dragon - Freeform, lots of licking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9314873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mei_kun/pseuds/Mei_kun
Summary: They started on the wrong foot but in the end they forged an unlikely friendship that was perhaps a prelude to something more.





	

Was it morning?

He could hear birdsongs from the top of the towers, their incessant twittering telling him it was proper morning even though his face wasn’t warm. Clouds had probably hidden the sun away, there was a damp smell lingering about now that he considered it. Best to be done with his routine before the rain sets in. The heavens rumbled as if testament to that, prompting him to lift himself up from his bed of rubble. He stretched his spine, back and forth, flexing his claws as he did so and then shook the dust off his scales. He pointed his nose up and sniffed the air pass the scent of rain and lightning and found nothing. His ears picked nothing as well, only the sound of the wind passing through empty passages.

Well, that settled it.

He’ll head straight down the channels so he could wet his throat and then go back to sleep. His stomach grumbled after that thought to remind him that it had been many nights since he had anything in his belly aside water. He paid it little mind. Prowling in the keep will yield nothing and the days when fishes or frogs lose their way into the water channels were rare.

His chains clinked and heavily scraped over the cobbled floor and he had to strain his neck or swipe his tail to snap or break it free from the random rabble that had snagged it. Something crumbled thanks to his efforts but he only continued his way unhindered. The keep, standing as it was, was already in a state of ruins. A topped wall or pillar wouldn’t make much difference. Though the crash of stones and cluttering tiles that followed it not soon after told him that a roof a had gone down. He entertained the thought of having no cover overhead eventually and liked the idea. The hole above his favorite nest afforded him too little a moon spot.

The fat droplets of the rain that pelted against his thin scales once open sky replaced stone roof soured the whole notion as always.

He doesn’t mind being wet but he had no fondness over the cold that sets right inside his bones. He suspected it had to do with that annoying icicle embedded at the underside of his chest. It pierced his core and made it warm when it should be _molten_.

—Or he thought it should be. He wasn’t certain.

In fact, he wasn’t certain on anything concerning himself except for three:

His chains were unbreakable.

His vision was impaired to uselessness.

And one of his wings was devastatingly broken.

He’d think he should be more concerned about the first as it was the very thing that trapped him to the keep, or, maybe, even the second. But he wasn’t. Even if clarity returned to his sight and the chains yield and allow him to leave none of those would matter because he will never be able to fly home.

That absolute knowledge made for countless of miserable first fortnights. It didn’t help that his injury had still been fresh, oozing with blood and his bones cringingly exposed. He hadn’t moved from where he was until the demands of his stomach outweighed his agony over his wing and forced him to scrounged what critters scuttled in the keep. It kept him busy and taken his mind off his wing. Hunting also made him realize that he was lamenting too much over a broken limb that will prevent him from returning home when he didn’t even know where home was or what it was.

That realization had given him another bout of heartache but he knew by then how to distract himself. However while he had hunted more for the activity rather than trying to feed himself, and even freed some of his catch, he had still extinguished his supply of vermin. The moon had wax and waned numerous of times since then and he was made to resort to waiting for game that was foolish to wander into the keep or go down the channels to try and fish like he will be doing at present.

He glided down to the bottom of the turret using his good wing, rain pouring down on him. Before he had to scale down the walls with his his claws. He was rather big, or, rather, he was longer than he was big but that was beside the point, the point was he was not big enough to jump all the way down to the bottom without hurting himself. He had tried it when he was chasing a deer. His legs didn’t thank him for it and his dinner had escaped him. He won’t be doing that mistake again.

He landed on shallow waters instead of only wet floor but didn’t worry much except grumble about the sudden cold while he continued his way into the channel passage. The water in the channels had been overflowing these past couple of months. It would most likely flood out the entire floor before long. But it hadn’t yet so he’ll venture into the channels today. Most of his interesting finds came from channels. There was one time he chanced on a crocodile. Vicious thing with a temper to match. Still, he provided him information that the keep was in an island in the middle of a lake before he swam away, muttering threats should he try to eat him and of course he didn’t. The beast seemed he will put up a great fight and he didn’t fancy licking wounds for days just for a chance to have his belly sated.

He ran out of chains after a while and he stopped at his usual spot where he drinks. He dips his head to the deeper part of the water but a foreign yet familiar smell pervaded his nose and stopped him from drinking. He didn’t have to wonder long as he heard the echo of splashing of water from one of the tinier passages that he could not venture into. The clumsy splashing slowly neared and so did the smell. Flesh and bones and steel… No, not only steel. Mythril as well. What a queer combination...

_Man._

A snarl pulled at his lips at the realization as tension slithered down his legs. His tail swished back and forth, ready to strike at the creature—Man—that will come tumbling in front of him. The Man arrived at the lip of the passage and he swings his tail down on it, intending to crush it in welcome.

“ _Fuck!_ ”

He growled at the intruder, maddeningly threatened for no discernible reason. The creature was tiny by the sound of it and, in a farway secluded part of his mind, he knew he was overreacting. It might be like the crocodile after all and could perchance give another insight of his residence. But he can’t get pass the desperate need to be rid of the thing before it could hurt him. The bone on his broken wing twinge as if concurring to his illogical fear.

The Man fired something at him, sharp and fast. He dodged it and whizzed pass him and embedded itself on the wall. His cheek stung. A low growl reverberated in his throat and his hind legs kicked against the floor to propel him forward only to be strangled down by the thick collar around his neck. He hacked and coughed at the sudden choke and the Man did not waste the opportunity to fire his mythril tipped arrows at him again. One embedded in his forearm and made him hiss and swipe his claws in every and which way. Another went pass his flimsy defense and stabbed the lower end of his arm.

He backed away. This won’t do. He needed to draw this thing into the the turret where it would be more spacious and the chains would allow him more freedom in his movements.

“ _Oh no you don’t! You’re not getting away dragon!_ ”

The rain had already turned into a storm, and the wind howled down as the heavens crackled, charging the air with static. The man ran after him but he was already perched on the stairs coiled at a ready to pounce once the man stepped out in the open. He didn’t get the chance as another barrage of mythril arrows was fired at him again. He jumped to the entrance of the channels where the Man was, unminding of the arrows that continue to burry itself in his arms and chest. They stung and hurt but they weren’t big nor long enough to deal crippling injury. He reached the Man with his claws, his jaws following suit, but the Man dodged him when he landed.

He spread his senses to find where the vermin scuttled off to and panicked when a rope swung behind him and the Man started climbing. “ _No hard feelings dragon but the princess needs saving._ ”

The desperation drove him to force his core to burn and turn his head to spat roaring flames to the vile creature. Flames licked behind his throat before liquid ice froze his molten core and spread a crippling chill throughout his veins that brought him down hacking and spluttering for breath.

“ _What in the… What’s wrong with you?_ ”

He intended to growl at the looming but all he could managed was a pitiful whine that stripped him of dignity in the face of death. The chill was beginning to subside and retreat back to the tip of the icicle piercing his core but it was much too slow to allow him to get up and jump to a safer distance. He opened his eyes and saw a blob of red topped with black standing before him. It was the Man. It didn’t fire its arrows and it was on striking distance.

It didn’t move.

It was watching him.

…It had its guard down.

He swiped his tail at it in a last ditch effort and felt his muscles connect to the small body. The Man bounced on the wall and fell down and didn’t move. He watched it with abated breath, bury as his vision was, waiting for it to get up and finish what it started. It didn’t. He released the breath he was holding.

That was too much excitement to start the day.

He plopped down onto the floor, making a splash on the shallow water that was flooding it. The crippling chill subsided after a few short minutes and he eventually was able to muster the strength to lift himself so he could get out of the storm and into a drier and warmer place in the keep. The Man stayed motionless in all these and even when he passed it on his way to the stairs. A metallic sheen covered its scent but so did the stink of mythril. Considering, now that the threat had been subdued, the combination of its scent and mythril was probably what sent his rationality out of his wits earlier. There was a pervasive sense of nostalgia in the steely tang it created that was making the bones of his broken wing twinge from phantom pain.

He shook off the thought with a snort and began to climb up. He would have scaled the walls but his limbs still felt somewhat boneless so the stairs it was. He hadn’t done much climbing before something nagged at the back of his head to turn back. It took him a couple of steps to discern that that something was nagging him to turn back for the Man.

He growled at his own irrational thoughts.

Why would he go back to that creature? It wanted to kill him. He should leave it to rot.

With a scoff he urged his legs to climb the stairs but his limbs refused to budge and rooted him to his spot. He squinted a glare down at the black tipped red blob, knowing that it was at fault for this ridiculous predicament he had found himself in. It still hadn’t move.

It didn’t also move when he was spluttering due to the insidious chill while he waited for it to deliver the finishing blow.

He clicked his tongue and started climbing down. The creature had been foolish to lower its guard down but he was more foolish for coming back for it. He tapped it lightly with the soft pad of his claw. The Man groaned but otherwise stayed put. His nose curled both at distaste and at its stink. He sniffed at the Man and was quick to find out that there was a thin hunk of mythril almost as tall as it was strapped on it. He snorted in disdain, trying to rid off the smell. Carefully he hooked his smallest claw to the leather link that bound it to the Man and snapped it with a simple flick. It slid off the Man and fell onto the floor with a splash. Satisfied, he bit the man by the scruff of its outer coat, careful not to bite too deeply less his sharp teeth tore its flesh. The storm started anew, blowing fiercer and bringing torrents of water down upon him. He opened his eyes and couldn’t see anything beyond the blurry storm, however the darkness that it casted overhead was telling. He closed his eyes and quickly climbed up the stairs, taking the Man with him to the heart of the keep.

This storm will last a long while. It would be prudent to stay in a place where he could have a semblance of warmth.

**\--**

Even nestled between layers and layers of walls he could still hear the angry howl of the wind outside as the storm continued to raged on. Thunder crackled, loud enough to make him pause from licking his wounds and strain his ears to check whether the Man was woken by it. Not a peep from the creature except for the clattering of its teeth. He huffed in exasperation. What a troublesome creature it was. It hadn’t woken while he made his way here, not when he dropped it on the tiled floor and not even when he settled himself on his soft nest of draperies and whined and hissed as he pulled out all the arrows piercing him. Shaking his head, he continued on the task of cleaning up his wounds.

“ _Kenma…_ ”

He craned his neck towards the Man’s direction. The creature moaned pitifully again, the sound shaky. He huffed and tried to ignore it but it moaned again, as if calling for something not there. He licked the back of his claw, still tasting a bit of his blood—

“ _Kenma…_ ”

He huffed and got up. Troublesome creature. He carefully lifted the Man off the floor and took it back with him to his nest. He tucked it under the nook of his arm and the shameless thing buried itself further until it was snugly fitted against the side of his chest. He huffed again, thinking why he was even bothering. He should just eat it up and be done with it.

He snorted at the thought.

With a creature this bothersome, he was sure to upset his stomach. He rather not risk it.

The creature turned and mumbled its gibberish again. He squeezed it with his arm trying to quiet it and was quite thankful when it settled for a quiet sleep and left him in peace to finish his task. After he was done he listened to the storm a while before he allowed himself rest.

And then only to be woken up by screaming. He grunted and squeezed the insufferable thing snug against his chest to quiet it down. It had worked before and he wanted more time to sleep. The Man quieted down and he was free to fall back into his nap.

The second time he was woken up was because of something that was rudely and repeatedly poking his nose.

He growled at the annoyance but it didn’t take the hint and he was swiped at it irritably with the back of his claw.

“ _Hey, you. Wake up, come on._ ”

“Leave me alone,” he said, perhaps it would understand if he told it plainly.

“ _Don’t growl at me. Why did you spare me?_ ”

“Go away,” he tried again.

“ _Great. Of course. What did you expect, Tetsurou? It’s a fucking dragon not magic. It’s going to growl not talk._ ”

It was the Man. It sounded annoyed. But he was more annoyed at being disturbed for reasons he no doubt will not care of. The Man started its tirade of gibberish again, making him growl in warning. Why won’t it be quiet and sleep out the storm like he was doing?

The man didn’t stop and he could hear him pacing back and forth in front of him. He lifted his head from the top of his claws and loomed over the Man. It stopped its pacing as he intended and he swiftly licked it up. Perhaps it was upset because it wanted attention.

“ _W-what—_ “

He licked it again and this time it stayed quiet. Satisfied he rested his chin again on top of his claws and got himself settled to falling back asleep. Troublesome thing, needing affection to be content.

When he next woke up it wasn’t directly because of the Man but because of the weak warmth he felt beside him that almost made him think that he had slept in his favorite spot and the sun had decided to come out. But, no. He was still lying on draperies instead of rubble and he could still hear the storm outside. However there was a crackling fire right next to him. He sat up in surprise.

How?

“ _Oh, hey. I hope you don’t mind but I used the chairs for kindling. I guess this is the dining—_ ”

He licked the Man.

“ _Stop—_ “

He licked it again.

“ _All right. I like you too, stop—_ ”

“Noisy,” he growled and then licked it again because he knew it was too thick to understand him.

That did the trick and he got up from his nest. He was thirsty.

The man ran after him. “ _Hey, where are you going?_ ”

He turned around and snapped his mouth at the small creature to prevent him from following. He was going down the channels to have a drink and he was not stupid to allow it to follow him. Its weapon was still down there. “Stay,” he said for good measure.

The Man didn’t follow him right away and he let it be until they were only four hallways away from the turret. He made a wrong turn and kept quiet until the Man walked right to him. He huffed. He walked forward until they beginning of the current hallway. He sat on guard, blocking the Man passage forward. “Go back,” he said.

To his surprise the Man complied. He was suspicious for a while but the creature no longer followed him. Perhaps it wasn’t as stupid as he initially thought. He heard a clatter from somewhere in the keep. He shook his head. Questionably stupid but certainly noisy.

The storm was still raging when he arrived at the start of the stairwell down the turret. He pushed through and glided down. When he landed the water was deeper but he could still get into the channels without resorting to swimming. He went straight to his drinking spot and felt the water vibrate as he lapped some water. There were fishes about.

He stayed a while and prowled the channels, deftly swiping his claw to where he could feel the fish. He was rewarded with four fat trouts for his efforts. Three he ate quick, and one he took back with him for the Man.

Upon his return the Man welcomed him with an unexpected silence. He spat the fish down at his feet and that was when it started its talking.

“ _You’re not fattening me up so you could eat me later, are you?_ ”

The Man continued its stream of gibberish. It was probably asking if it was all right to eat the fish. Silly thing. He gave it a lick and like before it spluttered and quieted down. He padded to his nest and settled to sleep. Much later, when the howling of the storm outside stirred him from his sleep, he felt the Man tuck itself underneath the nook of his arm. He didn’t put thought into it and only drag creature closer to his chest as it would be the warmest there. The Man startled but he licked it before it can begin its usual noise. “Sleep.”

After that event his relationship with the Man seemed to have taken a turn. The creature was more comfortable with him. It approached him with no inhibition and the nervous quality of its chatter gradually eased off. It also meant that it was noisier than before and it no longer quieted down when he gave it attention. It seemed to take his licks as encouragement to continue.

“ _Say where are you hiding the princess? I mean, I’ve look around when you sleep—and you sleep **a lot**.  But I can’t find her. …I can’t even find any treasure. Don’t dragons supposed to have a horde of gold or something?_ ”

He grunted at the Man. When it got started with its monologues it won’t stop until it exhausted itself. It continued its chatting and made itself more comfortable against his side. He was about to slip into another nap when it began patting his belly. " _Are you all alone in this place, girl?_ "

He lifted his chin up from his bed and gave the Man a lick. "Sleep." The storm has yet to pass and sleeping will make the wait seem faster.

" _Would you like to go home with me?_ "

He ignored the man and concentrated in coaxing his mind to sleep.

Days seemed to meld together as the storm continued. He didn't pay it much mind and only occupied his time sleeping, making a trip down the channels to have a drink, or, if he was feeling the mood for it, listen to the Man babble about something or the other _—_ like today. He didn't mind its chatter today.

" _I should name you. I can't keep calling you dragon. What do you say, girl, do you want a name?_ "

He grunted to tell the Man that he was listening to its talking. It seemed to appreciate it when he does and, as if to prove, it made a happy noise.

" _I'll take that as yes. ...hm. I was thinking of moonlight._ "

He snorted.

" _Hey, I know, uncreative. But hear me out. This island is called moon island, the castle is crescent keep and the princess, well, magician of legend actually... anyway, the princess that you're supposed to be guarding called moon princess. Let's not break the trend, yeah?_ "

He thumped his tail.

" _No? But I think it's good name. I mean, just look at you. You're literally like the moonlight._ "

He grunted. He didn't mind its chatter earlier but now he was beginning to. The Man had started to pace back and forth in the middle of its talking.

" _Not convinced?_ _But I like it... well, I could give you a nickname. Ah. Hm. Tsuki? How about it? It means moon in my country. Or let's make it tsukki since it sounds cuter. Means the same but, like I said, tsukki's cuter, and, well, you like to kiss me a lot._ "

He lifted his chin from his bed and licked the man. "Enough," he said.

" _You like it then, girl? Tsukki?"_ The man patted his nose.

He licked the Man again and lifted it from the floor to drop it beside his belly. The Man wormed under his usual spot under his arm. " _All right, a cute name for a cute girl, right, tsukki?"_

He snorted again and licked it one last time before he rested his chin back on the soft draperies.

" _Still, it's only a nickname, all right? I like moonlight—_ "

He growled. "Noisy."

 _"All right, all right. Tsukki it is._ "

The man quieted down after that and he was treated to peacefully listen to the storm outside until he fell asleep again.

The storm subsided somewhat after a while, but he could still hear it outside and rain still pelted him when he goes down the channel to drink. One time in particular, when he came back from the channels, the Man had procured some meat. It told him that the creature had gone out of the keep to hunt. He would have swiped it dead with his claws as it a successful hunt would mean that the Man posed as a threat again but the to his surprise the latter gave him the lion's share of its hunt and tried to pacify him, cooing _"Tsukki, tsukki, tsukki,"_  again and again.

Later on, he realized that it was what the Man had decided to call him. The same with ' _moonlight_ ,' and ' _girl_.'

For some reason he felt offended when the Man called him ' _girl_.' But he didn't put much stock into it. The Man didn't sound derisive when used it so it was probably a term of endearment if anything else.

What he did mind, however, was when the Man started pulling at the icicle embedded in the underside of his chest. It did not hurt per se but it gave sparks of chill whenever it was yanked. He growled at the Man when it did not ceased its pulling.

The Man stopped but petted his nose instead. " _Let me do this, Tsukki,_ " it said and for some reason, just like when he came back for it, something compelled him to stay put and lie down to his side so the Man could have easier access. The Man started to pull again and he could feel the icicle resist as it was eased off, replacing the sparks of chill with jolts cold lightning that travelled his veins and froze his blood.

" _Just a bit more Tsukki._ "

The insidious cold ate away at his consciousness and the last thought that lanced through the forefront of his mind was that it was hot.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious but when he came too, the Man had squawked and thrown his arms around his muzzle. " _Shit, Tsukki_. _I thought I killed you. Shit. Don't do that._ " He gave it a gentle lick to appease it, it sounded so distressed.  " _Yes, yes, I know you're all right. I'm so glad you're all right._ " The Man continued to blabber and he huffed softly and almost chastised it when he realized that he felt invigorated, his core hot. _Molten_.

The icicle was gone.

Gratitude surged through him as he showered the Man with attention.

The Man a made a happy noise. " _All right, all right. I get it. I love you, too, girl. But quit it, it's too late in the evening to take a wash._ "

Encouraged his kept licking the Man until it quieted down and settled beside him. " _You're so toasty now, Tsukki. That's going to help us when we trek the mountains._ "

He grunted happily and listened to the Man speak without interrupting him, outside he could only hear the gentle pitter patter of the rain. The storm had broke.

His gratitude over the Man didn't last very long as the next the man came back from his jaunts in the other parts of keep the stink of mythril was heavy around him. He hissed at it, a warning to stay its distance, his broken wing twinging.

" _Tsukki._ "

He heard the man approach slowly. He cracked his tail on the floor angrily, crushing the stone. "Stay back," he spat, baring his sharp teeth.

" _Tsukki, Tsukki, come one. It's me. Would I hurt you?_ "

Fire licked at the back of his throat and he spat it close to where the Man was.

" **Tsukki**."

The call took him aback and he slowly lowered his head to the floor, feeling chastised for some reason. The Man continued his trek towards him making him whine. Stay back, he wanted to say but somehow couldn't. The Man reached him and petted his nose gently. " _Shh. It's all right, girl. I'm not going to hurt you._ "

It was hard but he tried to separate the Man's smell and from the mythril. A few moments passed but with effort he had done and it and was able to concentrate on the Man's natural musk alone. " _All right, that's a good girl, that's a good girl._ "

The Man gave him a last pat before it climbed on his back. He whined but the Man was unhindered. He felt the weight of the blade rest on the collar around his neck. He held his breath and then a loud chink resounded inside the hall as the mythril blade struck the collar. The band encircling his neck fell to the floor with a heavy clunk.

Did it...

Did it just...?

Was he...?

" _There. Wasn't so bad, was it?_ "

The Man's voice jolted him away his stupor and he made him realized that he was no longer truly bounded by his chain and collar.

The gratitude and affection that he showered the Man when it restored his core was nothing compared to what he gave it now.

 _"Tsukki! Gah, stop!_ "

He enjoyed the Man's squawking for while more before he deftly picked it up and promptly ran and took his first step out of the keep after centuries of being imprisoned inside its walls.

  **\--**

Sunlight burned behind his eyelids and birds were twittering loudly overhead. Any other time, Tetsurou would have woken up with a start. The brightness and the noise were signs that it was too late in the morning to be lounging about and was high time he moved his ass. Nekoma was counting on him to get it its much needed trump card _—_ but did he have to? _Now?_ He was far too comfortable to move and actually wake up.

Not that he found sleeping on the forest ground comfortable. No, not really. But he was comfortably warm and was held snuggly. He only needed to turn his head just so to block off the sun's glare. Soft breaths fanned his face and something intertwined itself with his leg intimately.

Tetsurou snapped his eyes open.

And his mouth dried as he was greeted by the face of a sleeping angel mere _centimeters_ away from him. Pale lashes, fine, thin nose, pink parted lips that looked so soft and  so ravishingly inviting...

Tetsurou shook his head and his mind halted again when he realized that his hand was curled on the curve of a smooth, firm, and very bare bottom. He chanced a peek southwards and affirmed, that yes, that sinfully smooth globe of flesh was indeed very much bare.

He gulped and gingerly lifted his hand from the other's soft skin, feeling like had taken advantage of the situation. ...Which was absurd. Why should he feel guilt? The other's arm was also draped over his middle in a semblance of a loose embrace and Tetsurou wasn't the one entangling their legs together, was he? The other moved slightly, scooting closer to Tetsurou, one leg rubbing against his and a knee nudging his groin _—_

Tetsurou sat up.

He needed to get a grip.

There was a perfectly good explanation why there was a naked... He peeked downwards _—Male._  All right. Breathe. No need to get worked up. The stranger was a man _—_ young man. A very pretty, very naked and, god, those creamy legs just go on and on and _—_

"Gah, stop it you idiot!"

The quiet groan from the other snapped him back to the present and that was good. Tetsurou was able to round up his wits and anchored himself to the knowledge that he could ask the stranger questions now.

Like why was he naked.

Oh... _Shit._ Wait.

_He was naked._

Tetsurou _wasn't._

"It's not what it looks like!"

The other sat up, not opening his eyes, pale golden locks spilling over his bare shoulders in long wavy curls. The stranger didn't move for a second and only breathed. "I didn't do anything! I swear!" Tetsurou tried to reason before the stranger had chance to wake up and be hysterical.

The pretty blond didn't get hysterical but instead leaned on Tetsurou like it was the most natural thing to do and promptly licked him on the lips.

"Wh-what _—_ "

The stranger licked him again before grunting and falling onto his shoulder, breathing deeply like he was trying to get back to sleep and was only shushing him earlier...

Tetsurou blinked.

_Can't be._

He looked down at the fine faced blond and almost slapped himself stupid for not noticing first that the young man had _horns_. A familiar two sets of gold tipped ivory horns that Tetsurou had only seen on a dragon... the only dragon he knew.

 _For fuck's sake_. How could he missed that?

The blond nuzzled his nose against the crook of Tetsurou's neck and he was reminded just why he had missed that as the former's breath tickled his skin. Tetsurou cheeks heated up, feeling like he was thrown back in the awkward phase of puberty.

He shook his head to rid of any inappropriate thoughts that he was definitely not thinking.  

The movement made the blond groan and grumble and gave the cue for Tetsurou to get this sorted out. Now. He grabbed the blond by the curve of his thin shoulders and took note of the fine scales he could feel beneath his palm. Carefully, he drew the blond away from him. "Tsukki?" he tried, shaking him gently.

The blond scrunched his face and Tetsurou didn't linger on how adorable it was and only shook him harder. "Tsukki? Wake up."

Tetsurou shook him again and the blond's eyes remained shut but he was scowling now. "Come on, wake up. Please? You're Tsukki, right?" he asked although he was pretty sure that this was his dragon because there was no way he could be anybody else. Tetsurou had checked the keep inside out and there was no one in this island beside him and his dragon and he did tuck himself under Tsukki when they went to sleep last night.

...Still, wasn't this too fantastical to be true?

"Tsukki? Come on, help me out here."

The blond grunted, annoyed, and Tetsurou was hit by the sudden bout of familiarity in the gesture. Yes. This was definitely Tsukki. "Tsukki, Tsukki, Tsukki," he chanted. " _Tsukki._ You're awake, right?"

The blond didn't answer but opened his eyes and took Tetsurou's breath away.

It was like looking at honey dipped sunsets, bright and liquid warm, sprinkled with light brown specks. It would have made him nostalgic but their slitted pupils made them foreign, exotically beautiful.

A growl snapped Tetsurou back to his wits and finally noticed that the dragon was pouting. He would have asked for amends but the dragon brought his face close to Tetsurou's, eyes squinty and lips a hair's breath away from his.

Tetsurou's heart suddenly lodged itself up his throat.

And then Tsukki gave a panicked screech.

The dragon turned man backed away from him without getting up, giving a heartbreaking keen as he inspected his hand close to his face and then tried to look behind him as if searching for something. Tetsurou wasn't able to move until he heard sobs and saw dollops of tears falling from the blond's eyes.

"Shit, Tsukki, it's all right, it's all right," he said gathering the upset blond into his arms. Tetsurou rocked him and rubbed circles on his back. "Sh, Tsukki. It's all right, I'm here."

The blond continued to keen and whine as he cried. Tetsuou winced, hating that the other was so distressed. He wracked his brain and tried to think of a way to calm the dragon down and then mentally kicked himself when the solution came to him.

Tsukki always did one thing  when he wanted to reassure, comfort or just give Tetsurou affection.

Tetsurou drew back from the sobbing dragon and cupped his face. He gently guided it to look up to him and then leaned down to lick him on the lips. The dragon didn't stop crying but he was no longer making that heartbreaking whines.

"It's going to be all right," he said, licking away the salty tears from his cheek and then giving him a kiss on his brow.

The dragon tilted his head, sniffing, and Tetsurou then realized that Tsukki probably didn't understand a word he was saying. The dragon started nuzzling his cheek against Tetsurou's hand and Tetsurou decided that it didn't matter. He leaned down again and kissed Tsukki on the forehead before he drew back and unclipped his coat so he could drape it around Tsukki's shoulder.

"You'll be all right, Tsukki. I got you," he said as he tucked the dragon under his chin again, embracing the other in attempt to further calm him down. Tsukki nuzzled his nose onto Tetsurou's neck and breathed deeply as he clung to Tetsurou's shirt. Tetsurou ran his hand over the back of Tsukki's head as he continued to softly chant reassuring words and gently rocked the blond back and forth.

Last night Tetsurou decided that he will take Tsukki to Ivory Peaks. The mountain range was a great detour away from Nekoma but it was the best place Tetsurou could think of for a new home for Tsukki. Ivory Peaks was full of game Tsukki could hunt and it was considerably far from any civilization so he wouldn't run into trouble with humans.

But that decision was made before some kind of overnight mystic turned Tsukki into human.

Tetsurou kissed the top of the blond's head.

"You're coming home with me, Tsukki."

Tsukki crooned and tried to snuggle deeper into Tetsurou's embrace. Tetsurou didn't know if this change was permanent or not but whatever the case may be, he can no longer afford to leave Tsukki on his own.  

**Author's Note:**

> The idea just nagged at me and well I wanted a dragon!Tsukki so here it is. Though this is actually for a Sleeping Beauty x Soulmate AU of sorts… I’ll mark this complete for now.
> 
> If you want a dragon size comparison: HP’s hungarian horntail. Also since Tetsu mistook Tsukki for a female dragon, his dragon form would most likely be closest to a blue dragon (with the pointy faces) in physiology.
> 
> Anyway, I wasn’t on hiatus but was just busy... well, is busy and have technical difficulties due to my lightweight laptop quitting on me o.e; If you’re reading CS9 I’ll be going back to it now just had to get this done and out of the way.


End file.
